Southern California -- this just in

Dorner eludes manhunt but not Internet memes

February 11, 2013 | 2:53
pm

As a widespread multi-day manhunt for Christopher
Jordan Dorner continued Monday, memes mocking the ex-cop and the Los Angeles
Police Department have surfaced on the Internet. So too have T-shirts, decals,
domain names and bumper stickers — all for sale.

An example: For just a few dollars on EBay,
interested buyers can purchase a black-and-yellow bumper sticker riddled with
bullet holes that commands: “Don’t SHOOT! I’m NOT DORNER.”

Despite a flurry of tips that have drawn
police to a San Bernardino apartment complex and a Northridge home improvement
store, Dorner remained at large Monday.

Southern California has been on edge
as the multiagency manhunt continues for the 33-year-old Navy veteran
suspected of fatally shooting three people and wounding two others. The
investigation into Dorner's whereabouts has fanned out across the region,
taking authorities as far east as Las Vegas and as far south as San Diego.

But despite numerous rumors and tips — and a $1-million reward — there have been no confirmed sightings
of Dorner.

He is not the first person to be
the subject of sarcastic Internet memes. Bloggers and anyone with access to photo-altering software
have taken to the Internet previously to poke fun at police who used pepper
spray on Occupy protesters, the short-lived new University of California logo, Notre Dame linebacker
Manti Te’o and many other things.

Many of the Dorner memes
use a head shot of the former cop and put text on the photo representing
what Dorner might say or think.

“FREEZE!!” one says. Then: “Just kidding.”

Others use the widely distributed
photo of a blue truck that was hit multiple times by LAPD gunfire. Authorities
opened fire on the truck during their search for Dorner, only to find
that they had fired on two women delivering newspapers.

“Wrong make? Wrong model? Wrong
color?” one meme says. “OPEN FIRE!!!”

Police Chief Charlie Beck called the incident a “tragic
misinterpretation.” He will provide a new truck to the two women injured by
officers, a police spokesman said Saturday.